THE  YOUNG  DEFTER. 


feY  LEY-  B,  MANLY, ^R.,D.  By,  GHEENV1LLE,  S.  C. 

In  the  beginning  of  the  war,  a   youth  (whom 
we  will  call  Charles  K— )  joined  the  Confede  ate 
army.     He  seemed  fired  "with  -hearty  zeal  foi  the 
defence  of  our  assailed  rights.     His   parents  were' 
of  Northern  birth,  but  <if  Southern   residence,  and 
professed  decided  udhcsii  n  to  Southern  vievi  ->. — 
The  first   few  movements  of  the   war,   how  ver, 
brought  their  .jil.we  of  abode  within  the  eno  ny's- 
hues.      Their  sod's  company   was  station   I  to 
'guard  an  irn \m\[ ant  point,  where,  across  th    wa- 
ters of  Ham  piun. Roads,  the    "United  States   Sag* 
was  full  in  view,  beneath  wViich   his  father    and" 
family  hm I  taken  refuge.      Kvery  day,. .  as  h    ga2- 
ed  over  (lie  wavy  expanse,   he  oo^d  see- where] 
they  dwelt,  now  reconciled  a  patently  to  th    Yan- 
kee y^de,  even  if  they .  hacfaiofc  become  its  aiders 
and    abettors..     What  influences    prevaile  1   over. 
kis  boyish  mind,  cannot  be    certainly  kn--wn. — * 
i  *••••*  somehow,  the  lodging  to ,  join   them,    or  the 
•'i-Kke  of  canu?V  restraint^  or  the  ficklen>  ss   of  a 
'bf.y,  triumph  ed  over   his  oath  of  enlistment,  his 
Vunviction  of  the  righteousness    of  our  en  ise,  and, 
his  drea^  0f  the  pelTils-of  desei-tion. 
.^  Th<>,  opportunity  was  not  long  wantin.  ,  wl?ich 
riP*V*.-.ed  his  scarcely  form  d  desire  into  .  eti.on. — 
Amorous  light  boa.ts  were  drawn  up  alongj-he 


beach,  with  which  the  men  were  accustomed  ie 
t  sport,  sometimes  fishing,  sometimes  barely  amus- 
ing themselves  with  a  brief  excursion.  One  eve- 
ning as  the  gol !  of  sunset  was- mingling  with  the 
silver  that  cres.ed  the  waves.,  Charles  R—  enter- 
ed a  beat  ^and  pushed  off.-  He  -floated  about 
carelessly  with  the  ebb  tide,  as  it  seemed,  for  a 
while,  by'  degrees  getting  further  and  further  out.- 
till,  from  the  distance  and  the  darkening  twilight, 
he  "might  safely  venture  more  decided  move- 
ments. "Ferhaps  even  then  he  paused,  debating 
wh ether  f  >  go  or  return ;  but  the  attractions  ahead 
were  tor  string.  Behind  Bim  were  his  sworn 
comrade?  in  arms.  Before  him  loomed  the  ene- 
my's castle,  with  the  associates  of  Ms  early  life. 
To  them  his  heart  cleaved.  The  doubt  was  over. 
With  ill  the  speed  his  eager  and  practised  .ham? 
•could  give,  heurgedhis  boat  to  Fortress  Monroe. 
He  -was  a  successful  deserter. 

I  have  known  some  to  enlist  under  the  banner' 
of  Jesus,  who  seeded  all  animated  with  noble 
zenl,  whose  promptitude  and  ardor  outran  the 
dilridenceof  slower  minds,  and  gave  promise  of 
a!  undant  and  extensive  usefulness.-  They  "seem- 
ed to  run  well/  and  received  a  confidence,  and 
position  in  the  church,  which  gave"  them'  power 
afterwards  to  bring  reproach  en  the  £ause.  They 
were  not,  ^perhaps,  deceivers  at  .first.  They 
meant  well,  felt  earnest,  thought  t.bemse^vos 
sincere;  but  there  Was  no  steadfaWeKa,  *no  prin- 
ciple, no  actual  renewal  about  jfchem,     Tk#J>tn  3 


attachments  were  elsewhere.  Their  chosen  as 
sociations,  their  strongest  ties,  their  deepest  feel- 
ings bound  them  to  the  enemy.  And  so,  after  a 
struggle  with  the  shame  of  fickleness,  and  with 
the  dread  of  their  sou  's  peril,  and  with  the  ob- 
ligation of  their  vows  and  covenants — they:  de- 
parted. It  was  not  a  11  at  once,  perhaps )  not  by 
vigorous  and  determined  movements  at  first.-—- 
Brft  they  went.  They  left  the  Lord,  they  left 
his  people.,  they  lei  this  ordinances,  they  left  his 
ways,  they  cast  his  book  aside,  tn'ey  put  his 
laws- behind  *heir  back,  they  cut  themselves  off 
from  Him  and  His.  In  the  outset,  perhaps,  it 
was  apparently  a  simple  yielding  to  the  stress  of 
an  ebbing  tide,  t  >  the  breathing  of  an  off-shore 
wind ;  it  was  but  an  imperceptible  movement, 
unsuspected  by  others,  possibly  not  fully  deter- 
mined on  by  themselves;  but  the  tendency  was 
away  from  G-od  and  goodness,  it  was  prevailingly 
toward  evil.  The  temptation  grew  stronger  as 
the  distance  and  the  darkness  of  the  soul  increas- 
ed, and  at  last  they  struck  out  sfcraigrfVto  j-oin  the. 
1  enemy. 

Are  these  any  such  deserters  in  this  camp  ? — 
Are  there  any,  who  are  likely  to  become  such  I — 
Are  there  ary,  who  are  even   now   conscious    of 
the  temptation,  which'   is  'seducing  them  frOin 
Gpd?     Are  there  any  who  have  begun  that  ha 
sportive,  half  serious  parleying  which  may  so© 
ws     sufyject  them  altogether  to  its  snares  ?     Are  the 
->>i    any,  who  ai  e  even  now  swaging  back  and  fop 
^v  on  the  deceitful  waves  that-  lie  between  1?he 


^ 


pions  of  purity  and  evil, ~  half  questioning  witli 
themselves  whether  to  return  or  stay? 

You  have  nrl  gone  far.  Therefore  it  is  easy 
io  stop  )  ow.  Vou  are  not  yet  determined  "to 
>  ield  ane  go.  Therefore  determine  at  once  not 
1  )  go.  Your  danger  may  seem  slight.  It  is  for 
that  very  reasoy  more  likely  to  delude  and  to 
tlestn  y  y<u,  Yc  r  error  from  the  path  of  duty 
may' Hppe.tr  plauVble,  may  almost  seem  extenua- 
ted, or  ex  used*  b\  the  circumstances  around  yoir. 
Th  refbre  take  the  trior e  heed  lest  yeu  fall.  Oh 
st<  p  !  Th  nk  whe  e  you  a»i  going?  Pray  for 
£iace  to  H:m  that  s  able  to  keep  you  from  falt- 
inar. 

But  perlnps  there  are-  some  who  have  passed 
beyond  this  doubtful  stage^  of  indecision.  You 
are  not  resisting  temptation,  not  struggling  against 
backsliding;  you  are  not  merely  mrdita'tinsf  a 
desertion,  aftd  hesitating  before  you  b>  gin.  You 
have  passed  the  Rubicon.  You  have  made  your 
choice.  '  You^are  free  ivom  the  restraint  of  reli- 
gious profession,  and  have  cast  the  fear  of  God 
behind  you.  Well,  you  are 'a  successful  deser- 
ter,- You  .have  gone  forth  from  God*s  people, 
because  you  were  net  of  them.  And  what  now  ? 
•  The  vows  of  God  are.  upon  you.  You  have 
broken  them;  but  the  shattered  links  still  cKng. 
around' your  soul,  and,  cannot  be  shaken  off — 
You  have  renounced  his  service.  But  that  does 
not  alter  the  fact,  that  yeu  once  volurtarjly  en- 
listed in  it.  And  so  you  stanl,  before  God. and- 
angels  and  men,  as  a  bxeaker  of  your  piomise,  as 


a  conscious  violater  of  a  solemn  deliberate'  cove- 
nant with  your  God.     Is  it  not  so  ? 

Your  influence  is  most  decidedly-  feU  against- the 
cause  of  Christ,  -which  once  you  professed  to  hour 

'  or.  You  are  not  only  ranked  with  {he  enemy,* 
but  you  are  so  ranked  by  your  own  deliberate 
preference.  And  you  have  power  to  do  more 
to  religion,  than  those  who  never  professed  to  be 
Christians.  Your  conduct  seems  to  say  to  the 
world — that  you  have  tried  religion,    and  found  ' 

*  it  to  be  a  delusion.  You  may  say,  this  is  not 
your  meaning  ;  but 'such,  alas,  is  the  interpreta- 
tion, which  those  who  do'  not  love  God  will  put 
on  your  testimony.  They  will  delight  to  point 
to  you  and  say,  "There  is  a  man  who  was  '-one 
of  the  saints,' but  has  grown  wiser."  They  will 
boast  of  your  impiety,  will  strengthen  them- 
selves on  your  weak  compliances,  Vill  glory,  in 
your  shame.  They  will  take  a  fiendish  satisfac- 
tion in  dragging  yon  with  them  •  to  deeper  and 
more  damning  degradation,  because  you  once 
listed  of  the  good  word  of  God,  and  the  powers 
o;  the  world  to  come.  Your  vices  will  .be  the 
th  me  of  peculiar. merriment,  because  you  once 
,sat  at  the  table  of  the  Lord,  because  your  hands 
.ha-v*.  handled  the  ;holy  sacrament.*  Your  blas- 
phemies'will.be  greeted  with  special  glee,  be- 
cause your-lips*"have  join'ed-in  the  songs  of  heav- 
enly }  raise.  And  your  case  will  be  urged*  as  the 
convincing  argument  which  should  deter  the 
giddy  iiom  serious  thought,  the  thoughtful  from 
fonvietit  n,  the '  convinced   from  faith  in   Chris -t. 


'  r 


the  trembling  believer  from  public  profession. — 
You  will  be  made  the  stumbling  block,  for  the 
blind  to  stumble  over  into  hell ! 

Your  case  is  one  of  fearful  danger,  ?s  well  as 
of  aggravated  sin.  ""  It  he  that  despised  Moses* 
law  died  without  mercy,  of  how  much  sorer  pun- 
ishment, suppose  ye,  shall  he  be  thought  worthy, 

"who  hath  trodden  uiider  fcot  tbe  Son  of  Gfod, 
and  hath  counted  the. blood  of  the  covenant, 
wherewith  he  waf  sanctified,  an  unholy  tiling, 
and  hath  done  despite  unto  the  Spirit  of  grace  ?" 
There  is  in  your  case  peculiar,  tremendous  dan- 
ger lest  you  will  lose  jour  soul — lest  the  same 
influences  which  have  drawn  you  aside,  should 
keep  you  away  from  Glod — lest  your  "previous 
profession  of  piety  may  itself  become  one  of  the 
most-  serious  barriers  to  your  becoming  willing 

^even  to  listefl  'attentively  to.  G-od's  word — lest 
your  former  experience  may  hinder  you  forever 
from  striving  to  enter  in  at  the  strait  gate — ■ 
may  shut  you  up  without  effort  here,  without 
hope  hereafter. 

Your  case  is  only  not  desperate.  There  is  sal- 
vation even  for  .such  as  you,*  with  Him  who  "  is 
able  to  save  unto  the  uttermost"  There  is  par- 
don for  Deserters,  who  repent  and  return.  Lis- 
ten !  "  Though  your  sins  be  as  scarlet,  they  shall 
bs.  as  white  as  sno^?;  though  they  be  red  like 
crimson,  they  shall  be  as  wool."  It  i'sjaaiil  fchjjtt 
this  word  scarlet  means  double  dyed.  Come, 
then,  ye  double   dyed  transgressors,  who.  havo 


broken  both  God's  law.  and  your  own  promise 
■ — come  and  try  SoW  freely,  ful-ly,  Jesus  can 
forgive.  "  Him  that  cometh  unto  me,  I-wiU  in 
no  wise  cast  out."  "The  blood  of  Jesus  Christ, 
His  Son,,  clcanseth'us  from  ali  sin."  . 


■m 


TOO  LATE.* 


An  impenitent  sinner  was  recently  brought  in- 
to the  near  prospect  of  eternity,  and  the  terrors 
of  God's  wrath  fell  upon  him.  His  friends  sent 
for  a  minister  to  come  and  counsel  and  pray  with 
him  ;  but  though  he  sought  earnestly  to  lead  him 
to  Jesus,  it  seemed  of  no  avail."  Every  exhorla- 
tion  wfte  met  by  the  mournful  plaint,  "  It  is  too 
late — too  late ! "  The  minister  spoke  of  th'e  mer- 
cy of  God,  of  Tiis.long  suffering  under  provoca- 
tion, and  of  his  gracious  assurance  that  he  has 
"  no  pleasure  in  the  death  of  the  wicked,  but 
rather  that  he  turn  from  his  .way  £nd  live."  A 
bitter  groan  was  the  first  response  ;  and  then,  as 
ar  look  of  agony  convulsed  his  features,  he  delib- 
erately said : ' 

u  Mi/  case  is  beyond  all  this.  There  was  a 
time  when  God's  mercy  might  have  reached  me* 
In  after  life  I  often  felt  the  need  of  religion,  but 
I -could  not  bear  to  give  up  the  pleasure  of  sin, 
and.  I  quieted  my  conscience  by  resolving  to 
impend  only  a  few  years  in  sinful  indulgence?^ 
then  I  thought  I  would  marry,  and  promised  my- 
self that  when  once  settled  down  in  life,  I  would 
without  delay  give  my  heart  to  God. 

m 


.-■■*'  At  twenty-four  I  married,  and  then  pgain 
conscience  reminded  me  of  my  vow,  and  claimed 
its  immediate  fulfilment.  But  I  was  too  deeply 
intoxicated  With  the  cup*  of  earthly  joys  to  listen 
lio  the  faithful  monitor,  and  I  said,  '  Go  thy  way 
ifor  this  time  alsov'  " 

"Then  affliction  came,  and  I  was  brought  to 
the  very  borders  of  the  grave.  In  bitter  agony  I 
sought  the  mercy -seat;  and  again^J  promised 
that,  if  spared,  I  would  at  once  repent  and  lead 
a  new  life.  God's  mercy  spared  me;  but  with 
returning  health  came  renewed  cares  about  my 
business  and  family,  and  the  great  business  of 
life  was  again  put  off  for  a  more  convenient  sea- 
son. That  season  never  came  ;  .serioifs  thoughts 
and  solemn  resolutions  have  often  visited  me ; 
'God^s  messages  of  wrath  and  of  mercy  have  been 
sounded  in  my  ears,  my  broken  vows  have  clam- 
ored loudly  .of  my  guilt,  and  again  and  again  I 
have  promised  myself  that  to-morrow  I  would  re- 
pent. Thus  have  I  passed  forty  years  of  the 
most  aggravated  folly  and  guilt — God's  mercies 
and  judgments  alike  unregarded  ;  and  can  you 
wonder  that  he  now  forsakes  the  wreteh  he  has  so 
long  and  so  patiently  borne  with  ?  He  is  just. 
My  destruction  is  the  work  of  my  own  hands .  and 
I  must  reap  the  bitter  fruit  to  all  eternity.  ZtMt, 
lost,  lost  I  must  /or  ever  be  my  wail." 

And  thus  he  died,  another  fearful  example  of 
the  danger  of  delay,  and  the  vital  importance  of 
living  in  preparation  to  meet  God.  *  ^,3 


